Too little time, too much work

With less than three months to the Commonwealth Games and rain pouring down almost every third day, construction agencies in Delhi are worried. While the Public Works Department along with the MCD and the NDMC has managed to complete several infrastructure projects, a large quantum of work is still
incomplete.

Senior officials said they have sought 700 workers from three departments, flood and irrigation, slums and development, to speed up the work.

The PWD’s biggest worry is the ongoing streetscaping work all over the city. Sources said at most places the streetscaping work wasn’t even half finished. The quality of work being carried out at many places has also come under the scanner.

“The streetscaping work was found to be unattended at many places due to large quantum and pressure of work,” CM Sheila Dikshit said.

Senior Delhi government officials said there were several complaints that the work on many places had been done shabbily.

“During an inspection in south Delhi, Rajkumar Chauhan (PWD minister) pulled out a tile, placed a day ago, with his bare hands,” a Delhi government official said.

Officials said the streetlighting work was also suffering. The PWD department is getting new streetlights along its 450-odd-km network. Irked by the slow pace of work, the PWD minister had also shot off a show cause notices to the companies installing the lights. The case was also referred to the vigilance department.

While Dikshit hoped that the Barapula elevated road would be would be complete by August, engineers said it would be difficult. The PWD has yet to complete the work on the railway line. Engineers said the railway track is the main line that connects Delhi with south and west India and witness huge volume of traffic.

“We can only work here at night during fixed hours,” a senior engineer said.

PWD engineers said while most projects would be completed by August-end, September would be kept to develop greenery and repair pot holes.